1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sorter-finisher system, more particularly, comprising a sheet distributor and sheet binder so that the sheets carrying the images transcribed by the copying machine can be distributed and bound accordingly after being ejected from the copying machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, responding to the increasing demand for automated paper handling systems for copying machines, optional systems such as automatic document feeding system and sorting systems designed for sorting or grouping the duplicate sheets have been developed and commercialized in various types. The users of the copying machines are now requiring the sorter-finisher system capable of automatically binding and stacking the duplicate sheets which have been distributed and stocked in the sorting system, and this type sorter-finisher system has already been commercialized for some of large-sized copying machines.
For example, those publicized in U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,804, issued Oct. 29, 1985 to Braun et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,525, issued Feb. 3, 1981 to Sterret, U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,393, issued Nov. 30, 1982 to Noto, are known as the sorter-finisher system falling under said category. However, all such sorter-finisher systems have their finishers designed for the installation on the side of the sorter. Besides, such sorter-finisher systems are not applicable to the small-sized copying machines designed for the general users, because even the sorter alone is too large both in size and installation. Especially, the kind of system wherein the sheets distributed among and stocked in the bins have to be taken out by an oscillating arm with a sheet holder and transferred to a binder by the feeder is not only too complex mechanically but also too large in size.